Google Bans Devs From Serving Ads on Google Glass

It looks like Google Glass will be an ad-free space, at least initially.

On Monday, Google released its Google Mirror API, which lets third-party developers begin building applications for the smart glasses. In the terms of service for the API, Google states clearly that developers cannot serve ads to users, or even sell user data for advertising purposes.

Section 2: Advertisements

No Ads. You may not serve or include any advertisements in your API Client.

Data Usage. You may not use user data from your API Client for advertising purposes. You may not sell or transmit any user data received from your API Client(s) to a third-party ad network or service, data broker, or other advertising or marketing provider. For the avoidance of doubt, user data from the API Client(s) may not be used for Third-Party Ad Serving (“3PAS”).

Google also notes that developers cannot charge users for apps, raising questions about how developers will be able to monetize their services on the platform.

Google has stressed in the past that it has no plans to place ads on Google Glass. “There are no plans for advertising on this device,” a Google rep told Mashable earlier this year. “We’re more interested in making the hardware available.” The API guidelines appear to make good on this promise, but they may frustrate advertisers, some of whom have already dreamed up ways to use technology like Glass for marketing purposes.